Stabilizer coupling for air cushion suspension



Dec. 23, 1958 F. B. EASTON 2,855,652

STABILIZER couPLzNG FOR A1B, CUSHION SUSPENSION Dec. 23, 195s F'. B, EASTON 2,865,652

STABILIZER COUPLING FOR AIR CUSHION SUSPENSION Filed Feb. 14, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patet'll/L STABILIZER COUPLING FOR AIR CUSHION SUSPENSION Franklin B. Easton, Salem, Ohio, assiguor to Youngstown Steel Car Corporation, Niles, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application February 14, 1957, Serial No. 640,100

3 Claims. (Cl. 280--124) This invention relates broadly to pneumatic spring susy' pension assemblies and more specifically to improvements in the structure of the undercarriage therefor.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an air cell supporting structure embodying a pair of parallel holsters mounted for pivotal movement in a vertical plane responsive the movement of the vehicular axle, and a truss ,therefore to maintain the holsters in a common horizontal plane'.

Another object of the invention is to provide a yieldahle connection between the holsters and the truss which is designed to afford universal movement but restrain excessive sidewise movement of the holsters.

Another object of the invention is to provide a truss which is capable of resisting the lateral strains imposed on the air cells consequent to the vertical movement of the wheels on one side of the vehicle and/or side thrusts initiated by sharp turns.

Further objects of the invention reside in the production of an undercarriage of low unsprung weight, a framing structure which will resist axial movement of the holsters upon application of the brakes, and an undercarriage which is durable of structure, economic of manufacture and efficient of operation.

Other objects and advantages more or less ancillary to the foregoing, and the manner in which all the various objects are realized, will appear in the following description, which considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, sets forth the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the undercarriage embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof, the section being taken on a plane indicated by the line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 Ais a transverse section of the undercarriage, the section being taken on the line 3 3 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of one of the resilient supporting blocks for the frame truss member;

Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of a fragmentary portion of one of the holsters illustrating the framing of the portion thereof that provides the opening for one of the truss bearing blocks;

Fig. 6 is a view in perspective of a fragmentary portion of one of the truss members; and A Fig. 7 is a modified form of the strut in the center of the truss member of the assembly.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the undercarriage comprises a rectangular frame embodying a pair of hollow parallel beams 10, preferably of square transverse section, with front and rear cross members 11 and 12 welded or otherwise affixed to the inner faces thereof. The outer face of the forward end of each beam is provided with a pair of depending convergent arms 13 having a channel iron bracket 14 welded to the lower ends thereof. The

depending ears of each bracket are drilled to receive pins 15 having rubber clad bushings 16 thereon for the pivotal support of holster rails 17 that carry the air cells 18 and 2,865,652 'Patented Dec.` 2511958 er' x ICC vulcanized thereto. The rearward ends of the holsters and the lower faces of the beams are provided with brackets 24 which are drilled to receive pins -25 for'the pivotal support of shock absorber assemblies 26 of conventional form. .l

Thebolsters are transversely braced forward the axle A19 and rearward the front cross member 11 by a `truss 27 embodying a vertical central tubular strut 2 8 and a pair of diagonal arms A and B (Fig. l). The diagonal arms are formed by tubes 29 welded to the strut, (Fig. 3), and to substantially cubical block 30 at the ends thereof. v The upper face'31 is parallel to the base 32, the

opposed sides 33 of the block are also parallel to each other, and the end wall 34 is normal to the upper face,

'sides and base.v The rearward or outer face 35y of the block, however, is inclined downwardly, and the ends of the tubes 29 are welded to the inner face 34 of the block. Each of the blocks 30 is encased, save only the inner face 34 thereof, by a moulded rubber sleeve 36 (Fig. 4) of similar configuration to that of the block, and the sleeves are seated in pockets 37 formed in the holster rails 17. The pockets are defined by parallel side partitions 38 and a rearwardly inclined wall 39 which is welded to the top and bottom walls of the bolster and around the periphery of the opening of the pocket as shown in Fig. 5. The walls of rubber sleeve are approximately one inch thick and are snugly engaged, upon assembly, with the blocks 30 and the walls of the pockets 37.

The yieldahle mounting for the truss facilitates slight independent movement of the holsters relative to each other, but restrain excessive movement of one of the holsters when the superjacent air cell is flexed by the percussive blows imposed thereon due to irregularities in the road. The truss, moreover, will restrain independent lineal movement of the holsters and maintain the axle 19 in normal relation thereto. The truss, moreover, will restrain centrifugal thrust on the holsters when the vehicle negotiates a sharp turn in the road and restrain a tilting action with magnitude of restraint increased by centrifugal thrust.

The strut and tubes 29 have a cubical hollow block 40 welded thereto at the juncture of the parts for the reception of a rubber sleeve 41 of the form illustrated similarly in Fig. 4. The block supports the tang 42 of a bracket welded to the axle. This structure is provided to maintain the axle in tracking relation with the front wheels of the vehicle and restrain axle torque upon application of the vehicular brakes.

In the modified form, illustrated in Fig. 7, the strut 43 is formed with a pair of inner arms C welded thereto, and a pair of outer arms D retained by a stud 44 within the tubular strut. The ends of the strut are provided with washers 45 and 46 for the support of spheroidal rubber blocks 47 to facilitate independent movement of the arms C and D. The blocks 47 are retained in place by nuts 48 on the ends of the stud.

The truss o-f Fig. 7 is mounted in the holsters in the same manner as heretofore described and performs the same function thereof but with the added advantage of greater flexibility and cushioning effect.

Although the foregoing description' is necessarily of a detailed character, in order that the invention may be.:

completely set forth, it is to be understood that the -specitic terminology is not intended to be restrictive `or conlining, and that various rearrangements of parts and modiiications of detail may be resorted to without departing "from the scope or spirit of the invention as herein claimed.

What is claimed is:

1|. An undercarriage for a vehicular air cell supporting structure comprising Ya chassis frame, bolsters pivoted thereon adjacent the forward end thereof, rubber clad pins in Ythe pivotal connection for said bo-lsters, air cells intermediate said bolsters and said frame, shock absorbers "between the rearward ends of said frame and holsters, a rubber bushing carried by said bolsters, a vehicle axle -in said bushing, a truss disposed between said bolsters, v'cross arms-in said truss, rubber sleeves on the ends of -saidcross arms Seated in said holsters, a bracket welded 4to 'said axle, a rubber sleeve on the end thereof, a bear- "ing vsocket in the center of said truss supporting said rubber sleeve on the bracket, and means on said rubber sleeves to restrain the rotation thereof.

"2.'Anundercarriage for a vehicular air cell supporting structure comprising a chassis frame, bolsters pivoted ithereon adjacent the forward end thereof, rubber clad pins in the pivotal connection for said holsters, air cells lintermediate said holsters and said frame, shock absorbers between the rearward ends of said frame and holsters, rubber bushings carried by said holsters, a vehicle axle in 'said bushing, divergent arms constituting a truss intermediate said bolsters, cubical blocks on the ends of said farms, cubical rubber sleeves thereon, said bolsters having icubical pockets therein for said sleeves, abracket afxed to said axle, a cubical cup aixed to said truss, and a cubical rubber sleeve in' the outer end of said bracket seated in said cup.

3. An nndercarriage for a vehicular air cell supporting structure comprising a pair lof hollow parallel beams, brackets depending from the forward ends thereof, bolsters pivotally mounted on said brackets, rubber clad pins in' the pivotal mountngs for said bolsters, rubber bushings in said holsters adjacent the rearward ends thereof, a vehicle axle mounted in said bushings, shock absorbers on the rearward ends of said beams and said holsters, a truss transverse said holsters, rubber bushings on the ends of said truss mounted in said holsters, a bracket welded to.said axle, a rubber bushing on the outer end thereof, and a socket o-nsaid truss supporting the rubber bushing on said bracket.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED srA'ras PATENTS 2,713,498 Brown `lfuly 19, 1955 2,768,002 Rabe Oct. 23. 1956 2,814,480 Clark Nov. 26, 1957 2,821,407 Brumbaugh Ian. 28, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 595,490 Germany Apr. 12, A1934 

